Alzheimer’s Disease: A Neurodegenerative Menace of Elderly

Abstract

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of Dementia. This is an incurable, neurodegenerative and terminal disease. Despite mortality due to communicable diseases, poverty, and human conflicts, dementia incidence is destined to increase in the developing world in tandem with the ageing population. Current data from developing countries suggest that age adjusted dementia prevalence estimates in 65 year old are high (>or=5%) in certain Asian and Latin American countries, but consistently low (1-3%) in India and sub-Saharan Africa; Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60% whereas vascular dementia accounts for approximately 30% of the prevalence. Early-onset familial forms of dementia with single-gene defects occur in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Illiteracy remains a risk factor for dementia. This review discusses the etiology, pathology, diagnosis & treatment and scenario in India.